It’s hard to break up, but the brain seems to have a mechanism to help get over an ex.
Researchers studying prairie voles say the rodents, who form monogamous relationships, experience a burst of the pleasure hormone dopamine in their brains when they search for and reunite with their mate. However, after being separated for a long period of time, they no longer experience such a surge.
“We tend to think of it as ‘to get over a breakup‘ because these voles can actually form a new bond after this change in dopamine dynamics — something they can’t do while the bond is still intact,” said Dr. Zoe Donaldson, a behavioral neurologist at CU Boulder and senior author of the work. said.
Write in the journal Current Biologydescribed the team as conducting a series of experiments in which voles had to press levers to gain access to either their partner or an unknown vol located on the other side of a transparent door.
The team found that the voles had a greater release of dopamine in their brains when they pressed levers and opened doors to meet their partner than when they met the new voles. They also spent more time with their partner when they met, and experienced a greater increase in dopamine while doing so.
Donaldson said: “We think the difference is linked to knowing you’re about to reunite with a partner and reflects that reuniting with a partner is more rewarding than going out with a full which they do not know.”
However, these differences in dopamine levels were no longer present after separating littermates for four weeks – a significant period in the rodents’ lifespan. Differences in socializing behavior also decreased.
The researchers say the findings indicate a devaluation of the bond between pairs of voles, rather than them forgetting each other.
Donaldson said the study could have a number of implications should research show that the findings also apply to humans.
“First, if that dopamine signaling is really crucial in helping to cement and maintain human bonds, that means doing things that help keep that signaling strong has important implications for relationship satisfaction,” she said.
Donaldson added the work could also apply to people who have struggled to move on after a bereavement.
“It’s possible that, for these people, their partner dopamine signaling doesn’t adjust after loss, essentially stalling their processing of the loss,” she said. “A larger goal of my research is to identify ways to help those with prolonged grief disorder by identifying the biological changes that help them integrate a loss and re-engage with life.”
